tail: New keep_file_handle and fstat_interval_nsec options for tail i…

[david-garcia-garcia]

See https://github.com/fluent/fluent-bit/pull/11151

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Added docs for two new Tail input options: keeping file handles open and configuring file-status check intervals, with notes on effects for cloud and SMB/Samba backends.
  • New SMB/Samba tailing section with behavior guidance and example configs.
  • Expanded character-encoding conversion guidance with more examples, usage scenarios, and supported encodings details.

_{✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.}

[coderabbitai[bot]]

Walkthrough

Updates Tail input documentation: adds keep_file_handle and fstat_interval_nsec options, introduces an SMB/Samba tailing section with behavior notes and example Fluent Bit YAML/conf configs, and expands the Character Encoding Conversion guidance with examples and encoding details.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Tail input documentation pipeline/inputs/tail.md	Added keep_file_handle and fstat_interval_nsec configuration options and explanations; added an SMB/Samba tailing section describing behavior and implications, with example Fluent Bit YAML and conf configurations; expanded Character Encoding Conversion section with additional guidance, examples, and encoding details.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 1 (Trivial) | ⏱️ ~3 minutes

• Documentation-only changes; no code or API modifications.
• Focus review on clarity and correctness of examples and encoding details.

Poem

🐇 I hopped through lines of tail and file,

Kept a handle close or let it roam a while,
Counting nanos in a patient beat,
SMB corners swept tidy and neat,
A rabbit's note — docs polished with a smile.

Pre-merge checks and finishing touches

✅ Passed checks (3 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly and concisely summarizes the main changes: two new configuration options (keep_file_handle and fstat_interval_nsec) added to the Tail input documentation.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

✨ Finishing touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• [ ] Create PR with unit tests
• [ ] Post copyable unit tests in a comment

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📜 Recent review details

Configuration used: CodeRabbit UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 96b09280b6a62f557d61694d092456822fa99be0 and ae0b9d15c6487126ca48f321720c8e653adcca5d.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

• pipeline/inputs/tail.md (2 hunks)

🚧 Files skipped from review as they are similar to previous changes (1)

• pipeline/inputs/tail.md

[!TIP]

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[eschabell]

@david-garcia-garcia failing on some lint issues... if you can take a look so this is ready when the code PR merges?

[alexakreizinger]

@eschabell I just caught/fixed the failing check, should be able to merge now :)